Hello, Old Friend
by pyrestarter
Summary: Katara uncovers a terrible secret that could unravel the group forever. She attempts to hide the truth from the others but the price for this quickly becomes way too high. Can she live with this secret or will it destroy her?
1. Chapter 1

**Hello, Old Friend**

**By**

**Jack Bushell**

**Chapter 1**

**The Boy on the Cross**

The sun shone brilliantly in the midmorning sky. Aang was lazily lounged over Appa's tail while Sokka frolicked with his fishing pole a few feet away on the riverside. Toph, though not sleeping, was still laying on the ground, not wanting to get up and Katara, who had been down the local village market, was making her way up the side of the grassy knoll, carrying a basket full of food. She quietly, almost somberly, placed the container beside the campfire and sat on the dirty ground, staring dully into the flames, as if hypnotized.

"Yay! Finally some decent food!" Exclaimed Toph as she finally raised to face the day.

"Food?"

Aang hopped from atop Appa to sit with Katara.

"Did somebody say food!?" Sokka excitedly ran from the river, his tongue dragging on the ground.

"Is there an echo here?" Toph laughed. "What'd you get us, Katara? Katara?"

But the girl was not answering her blind friend, she only stared still into the fire.

"Hey," Aang shook her shoulder gently, "what's wrong, Katara?"

"I'm…I'm a little disturbed right now."

She looked at her friends and seemed to awaken from her somber mood.

"There's a guy there…in that village…and he's…he's…" She seemed at a loss for words.

"What?" Sokka prodded her.

"Well, he's bound to a big thing in the village square. They're torturing him."

"What?" they all cried in unison.

"Is he a criminal? What are the people doing to him? Did you talk to anyone?"

"Well, I did, actually." Her words were slow and deliberate. "I felt so horrible for him, hanging there all bloodied and beaten and people were spitting on him and throwing rocks and stuff at him. It was awful! I spoke to a village elder and he told me the man is a thief and knew the punishment for his crimes. He told me that their laws are cruel so as to snuff out crime altogether."

"What the heck did he steal to warrant that kind of treatment?" Toph, too looked upset.

Sokka, though, seemed unimpressed. "Well, a thief is a thief. It may sound a bit rough but it is the town's law."

"Aang," Katara pleaded, "I think we should do something."

"I kind of feel like Sokka does," He seemed to be deep in thought as he stared into her eyes, "but torture is extreme."

"Aang," she took his hand. "he's just a boy."

In no time at all, the small group of friends were entering the village square, all thoughts of food far gone from their minds.

"Oh no…"

Aang looked in horror at the sight in the middle of the square. Two long tree trunks had been buried in the middle to form a massive x. The noontime sun beat down upon it in full force, slow cooking the already badly sunburned figure upon it. A boy, no older than himself, was hanging from the makeshift cross. His hands, nailed to the upper trunks, were black as were his feet, which had been likewise nailed to the lower trunks. It was obvious to Aang that the lad had been repeatedly beaten terribly as there were fresh wounds on top of old ones. Even the young man's hair had been bleached by the sun. How long had this boy been hanging here? Was he even still alive? By the looks on the other's faces, they felt the same as Aang did: sickened.

The village elder took notice of the kids and he gasped as he approached, bowing low before Aang.

"It is my humblest pleasure to have our village blessed with the presence of the Avatar."

"What's going on here?" Aang demanded of the old man.

Slightly taken aback, the old man looked at each of their faces, to the boy on the cross, and then back to Aang.

"That man was caught stealing a loaf of bread a few weeks ago. This is his punishment. It is our law."

"A loaf of bread?"

Katara, enraged, turned on the man.

"This boy has been hung here to die for a loaf of bread?"

"Young lady, it is our law and our laws are absolute. This is why this village is crime free. And we will not let him die. He will learn his lesson and be set free."

"He probably only stole it because he was starving!" she screamed at him, tears streaming down her face. "By now he's probably praying for death!"

"Probably." The old man smiled. "And once I hear it from his lips he will be set free."

"This is not morally right!" Katara screamed back.

A small crowd of people had gathered to watch the argument.

"But it is our law…"

"And absolute we get it."

Sokka held Katara so she could not attack the village elder.

"If I, as the Avatar, requested you set him free now…"

"I'm sorry, Avatar Aang, but though I respect you…"

"Shen Fo…"

An elder woman stepped next to the old man.

"This is the Avatar, he is the savior of this world."

The crowd that had amassed seemed to agree in unison at this woman's words.

"If the Avatar wants the filthy criminal let him take the scourge away from our village."

The village elder surveyed the crowd and then Aang once more.

"So be it."

With a wave of his hand, a few men fell upon the cross and shortly the unconscious boy plummeted into a heap on the ground.

Without words, Aang and Sokka carried the boy out of the village, followed by Toph and then Katara, who was openly weeping because she saw that the village people had tied to his left wrist the stolen loaf of bread.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

**The Moonlight Visitor **

On the very top to the grassy knoll, Katara worked her healing feverishly upon the broken body that lay before her as the others quickly packed up, wanting to put some distance between themselves and the vicious little village beneath them.

"Katara?"

"Real bad, Aang. Real bad."

She slowly moved her hands over his body.

"Not going to make it bad?"

"I don't know. All I can really do right now is stop all this bleeding and ease the sunburn a little but…"

"Can we move him?"

"We shouldn't."

"Well," said Sokka, "I think we have to. Better safe than sorry right now."

Soon camp was broken and the kids were aloft on Appa, surrounding the young man's prone form, guarding him from the cutting winds.

"Where are we going?" Aang called from Appa's reigns.

Katara looked up and around the landscape below them.

"There!" she called back, pointing her finger towards the horizon.

After a couple of hours flying, the coast was finally within view. Sokka climbed from Appa's saddle to join Aang.

"Hey, Aang."

"Hey, Sokka."

"What d'ya think?"

"We should land here and camp for the night. Appa's getting tired and it's going to be dark soon."

"I agree. This way we can get a good meal in us. Katara says she can work on the kid some more too."

"Good. Appa, down."

The massive sky bison gently landed on the beach. Momo, chirping excitedly, fluttered into a nearby grove of trees to hunt for food.

"I agree Momo." said Sokka, grabbing his stomach. "I'll get a fire going."

Toph began pitching tents with Aang as Katara prepared them all a delicious dinner.

Only after they had eaten did the kids struggle the boy's body from Appa's saddle.

"Take him down to the water's edge, you guys." Katara said as she gazed up at the ever darkening sky. "Thank goodness there's a full moon tonight, that will really help."

"What can I do, Katara?" Toph asked as she joined her friend.

"We're going to need lots of bandages. Sokka, take Toph and find me any clothing we can spare for bandages. Also, bring me a pair of your shorts."

"What?"

"Just do it, Sokka."

"Aang, will you see if you can find any aloe plants near here?"

"I'm on it." Aang opened his staff and flew off.

Awhile later, Katara sat next to the boy next to the sea, surveying the damage done to his body. A pile of cloth strips lay beside her along with a pot of crushed aloe that Aang had found. Snores reached her ears and she sighed, knowing her friends needed their sleep but wishing she could join them.

"How bad is he?"

Katara jumped a bit. She had not heard Toph walk over and smiled as the girl kneeled next to her.

"Toph, you need your sleep."

"Nah, it's alright. Not tired yet," she said as she stifled a yawn. "How's the patient, doc?"

"He should be dead."

The entire front side of the boy's body was burned badly from the sun in addition to numerous lacerations, bumps, and broken bones. She had discovered all of this as she had removed what had remained of his clothing.

"He's comatose now. Frankly I don't know if he will wake up."

"Really?" Toph asked in a dumbfounded awe.

"There's just so much that needs done…more than I think I can handle."

"I'll help."

"I know you will, hon…okay."

Katara breathed deeply and looked once more at the full moon and mouthed a silent prayer.

"I need to try and mend his bones…and all of this dead skin needs to be removed but…"

"But what?"

"I can't. It's too dangerous. The risk of infection is too great. Okay, okay…Toph, while I'm working up here will you start applying the aloe to his legs?"

"Sure thing, captain."

Katara pulled water from the sea and began bending it slowly across the boy's chest, feeling the slightest quivering underneath her fingertips.

Toph, though, immediately fell to her side, retching horribly.

"What is it, what's the matter?"

But Katara had already seen. Where the young girl had applied the aloe paste on the boy's skin, a dirty yellow puss was oozing out and emitting an extremely foul and nauseating smell.

"Oh no…"

"What is that?" asked Toph, holding her stomach and her nose at the same time.

"He's already infected…" she whispered hoarsely looking down at her hands. "There's no way…there's just no way…"

Despair filled her heart and though she kept trying to mend his ribs, tears were streaming down her face.

"Katara?"

Toph, concerned for her friend, moved to console her.

"Let him go…"

"I can't…"

"He'll be at peace…he won't hurt anymore…"

She could feel tears of her own welling in her blind eyes.

"I can't…"

"But…"

"I can't!" Katara sobbed.

Toph, choking back a sob of her own because she'd never seen Katara so helpless, ran off in the dark.

Hours passed, and though she had long ago given up trying to heal the young man who lay underneath her, she just couldn't leave him there to die alone. So she just sat there staring off into the sparking sea.

"Go get some sleep, Toph." whispered Katara as she heard movement around her.

"Why do you care for this boy so?"

"Why do I…"

But she stopped when she turned for it was not Toph she had seen but a shimmering mist that rolled across the dark beach, playing with the sea as it's waves touched upon the sandy shore.

"Why do you care for this boy so?"

"I…I…"

She was at a loss for words. Partly because of the shock of a seemingly disembodied voice haunting her from a phantom mist and partly because she did not understand the answer.

"I do not ask because I want to know. I ask only that you, yourself, should know, young one."

"I…I care because…he was treated unfairly…he was given a death sentence over a loaf of bread…they took away his life for a loaf of bread!"

Katara felt the rage swell inside of her.

"No, child."

She began weeping again, defeated. A long silence blanketed the scene.

"Because…because I'm responsible."

"Ah. Let the truth set you free."

Katara broke down and fell to the sand, sobbing.

"Dear child, you helped me once long age and now I shall return the favor."

At this, the mist enveloped Katara's arms and hands and, together, they caressed the prone body below them. She could feel the twisted energy inside the young man slowly releasing and, soon, the mist pulled itself from Katara and drifted lazily out onto the water. She watched somberly until it disappeared, not wondering what it was but knowing in her heart who she was that had helped her.

Exhausted, Katara collapsed over the boy in the cold and wet sand.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

**Sokka of the Fire Nation**

**and**

**the Would Be Thief**

Katara bolted from the ground, ready to defend herself and sighed, realizing that it was her own voice screaming that had awakened her. She yelped again as she looked down and saw Toph running her fingers over the comatose young man's face.

"Don't!"

Quickly she pulled her blind friend away.

"What's your problem, Katara?" Toph angrily asked. "I was only putting more aloe on for you."

"Oh my…sorry, Toph…sorry. It's just…I had a terrible nightmare and you startled me.

"That's okay. Your startled me too, jumping me like that. What were you screaming about anyways?"

"I…uh…I'm not sure."

She lowered her eyes in shame.

"He feels a lot better today. How late were you up?"

She shrugged her shoulders, vaguely recalling her time spent with the Painted Lady as if it had all been just a dream. A chill ran down her back and she shivered, recalling the spirit's touch on the back of her hands. Kneeling next to the boy, she prepared to begin another healing session but stopped as quickly as she started.

"What's wrong, Katara?"

"Nothing," she answered glumly.

No. Nothing at all. His bones were all completely mended already. Most of the lacerations were also entirely healed, leaving jagged scars here and there. The holes in his hands and feet weren't healed over yet but well on their way. His entire body that wasn't burned red was black and blue and parts were still quite swollen, including his face. She whispered a silent thank you to whoever was listening. The sunburn was still bad, but nowhere near as bad as it was and any sign of infection had altogether vanished.

"Where are the guys?"

She squinted her eyes against the bright sun and tried looking for Aang or Sokka.

"Gone."

"What?"

"Yeah."

"Where?"

"Aang thought that it'd be a good idea to go see Bumi."

"Bumi?"

"Well, yeah. Sokka figured that from here we're about a day from Omashu and Aang was pretty tore up about what's happened and all…"

"And they thought maybe Bumi could help."

"Sure, why not? Omashu is the closest governing city. At least that's what Sokka said."

"Great. Nice of them to tell me."

"Not like they didn't try, sugarcakes. You just wouldn't wake up for nothing."

"Humph."

Katara sulked for awhile while Toph returned to the campsite to tend the fire. Staring down at the body beside her, she breathed deeply and began her healing session.

By midday, Katara had finally abandoned the boy by the sea to enjoy lunch with Toph and by the time they had finished eating she was feeling quite herself again.

"Shouldn't we bring him up here now, Katara?"

"Katara looked down to the beach at the tent they erected over the boy.

"I don't think we should move him really, Toph. Hey, what are you doing?"

The little girl had knocked their own tent down and was dragging it towards the seaside.

"Oh, bother." Katara began packing up the few things laying around the campsite and joined her friend in setting up a new camp close to the boy.

Late into the night, Katara still lay wide awake. She was worried about the nameless boy laying comatose in the tent next to her and she was also very worried about Aang. It was this thought that took her back to the day they had rescued the boy from the cross.

It was early in the morning on that day, so very early that the sun hadn't quite risen yet. A fitful Katara had given up trying to fall back to sleep, deciding instead to get an early start on the day.

How she wished she hadn't.

Upon getting up she immediately noticed that her brother was gone. Without waking the others, she left camp in search of Sokka. She had only walked a little while before she had found him and she watched as, in the distance and hidden partially by the tree line, Sokka stood shaking hands and laughing with a Fire Nation soldier. She watched in horror as her brother handed a parchment to the soldier and pointed his finger in the direction of their campsite. The soldier, in turn, handed Sokka a bag that had to be money.

He was selling them all out!

He was betraying them!

But no…no…that's Sokka. That's her brother.

She numbly returned to camp, deciding she would confront Sokka privately before saying anything about this secret meeting to Aang. Surely there had to be a good reason for all of this. Sokka would never betray her. Or Aang. Or Toph. Or would he?

As she neared camp she spied a figure sneaking away from their almost empty basket of food. Thinking Fire Nation, she immediately attacked, bending water from her pouch and encasing the figure in ice. When she reached the frozen figure, though, she discovered that her new enemy was not Fire Nation, but a small boy with a look of terror on his face. He was holding a loaf of bread he had taken from them and by the looks of the ribs protruding from his skinny torso, he was starving and need that bread more than any of them.

But on that morning, after seeing her brother being so friendly with the enemy, Katara was just not herself. Not at all.

"You thief! How dare you!" she whispered vehemently, not wanting to draw unwanted attention to herself from the tree line or from the camp.

She glared at the little boy and snapped out of her rage when she saw that she had made him cry. He was begging for his mother. Quickly she freed him from the ice and before she could apologize he ran as fast as lightning down the side of the hill, leaving the stolen food laying at Katara's feet.

Filled with shame she had never felt before, she walked back to camp.

Katara bolted from the ground, ready to defend herself and sighed, realizing that, once again, it was her own voice screaming that had awakened her.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

**The Bet**

Aang yawned obnoxiously, leaning back on the hallway wall and stretching. He looked blearily at the bathroom door, desperately wanting to splash cold water on his face to help him wake up.

"Oh no…" The thought of splashing water reminded him of his about to burst bladder and he quickly crossed his legs tighter together.

"Come on, Sokka! You've been in there forever!"

"Geez, hold on, Aang!" Sokka called from behind the door.

"I can't!"

"Okay, okay!" Dashing from the bathroom, Sokka quickly slammed the door shut and, smiling at Aang, retreated to the kitchen area of the small apartment that King Bumi had given them to stay during their visit.

"Oh ho!"

Sokka heard Aang cry out and began giggling like a madman. The sound of retching and gagging escaped from the bathroom, causing Sokka to laugh so hard that he began crying.

"Holy antelope fish, Sokka!" exclaimed Aang as he ran into the kitchen. "What the heck did you eat last night?"

"Funny you should mention antelope fish!" The boy began rolling on the floor in gales of laughter.

"Are you about done?"

"Yeah, okay." Sokka wiped his nose on his sleeve and settled down.

"I've been thinking about something."

"What's that, Aang?"

"Well, we saw Bumi last night and he promised to take care of the mess in that village…"

"Yeah?"

"And the girls are busy with that kid…"

"Yeah?"

"And there's really not a lot we can do to help now anyways…"

"Just get to the point, Aang!" yelled Sokka.

"Let's take a day off."

"A what?"

"You know…a day off."

"Oooh, Katara would be furious."

"Nah, I think she'd be okay with it, Sokka."

"Yeah, you're probably right."

Though he knew for a fact his sister would be furious with them for goofing off.

"Aang?"

"Yes, Sokka?"

"Let's take a day off!"

An hour later they were still sitting in the kitchen. Aang, lounged on the hard wooden floor, wiped a bogie on the wall.

"Have you ever kissed a girl, Sokka?"

"Well…sure, Aang. Yue. Suki. Gran Gran. How about you?"

He thought desperately about the hundreds of daydreams and fantasies he had about kissing Katara. Over and over and over again.

"No."

"Hey!" exclaimed Sokka, "I know what we're going to do on our day off!"

"Go kiss Katara?"

"What??"

"Nothing! Nothing!"

"Oh…okay. Well anyways…"

"Yeah…heh, heh…"

"Let's play a little betting game."

"Bet?"

"Sure. Unless you're chicken."

"The Avatar is not chicken!" Aang screamed.

"Fine, fine. Let's put it to the test. First one of us to get a kiss from a girl today wins."

"You are so on, Sokka. And if I win?"

"You win, Aang, I'll let you tattoo a butterfly on my butt!"

"Ewww…I don't want to see your butt! Oooh! Oooh! I got it! If I win, you have to shave your head!"

"Fine. If I win…" He leaned over and whispered into Aang's ear.

"You're on!"

"Aang, my friend," Sokka placed his hand on the small boy's shoulder. "Let's go pick up some chicks."

"I'm the Avatar! I don't pick up chicks!"

Sokka frowned..

"The chicks come to me!"

"Oh…kay…let's get ready!"

Soon the boys were on the streets of Omashu, hitting on every girl they met but to no avail. Every now and then Sokka would smack Aang on the head for saying 'C'mon…I'm the Avatar!'

The majority of their day was spent striking out with women and running away from angry boyfriends, husbands, and cabbage merchants.

Towards the end of the evening, the boys found themselves in a pub and while nursing glasses of goat's milk, they overheard a table of young women talking. The women spoke of a wild party and how they wished more boys would be coming. As the table of girls left the pub, both Aang and Sokka, grinning like buffalo monkeys in heat, excitedly followed them out.

Quickly, though, the boys were turned away as the women entered an apartment just off the main street.

"You're just way too young, boys, sorry…"

"C'mon…I'm the Avatar!"

SMACK

"Owwww….Sokka…."

The door was slammed in their faces.

"Look, Aang! A window!"

Sure enough, about eight feet from the ground a small window protruded from the building. Quickly Aang hopped on Sokka's shoulders and was lifted to the window.

"Well? Do you see anything?"

"Yes!"

"What? What?"

"They're having a pillow fight!"

Sokka was so excited that he fell over, Aang landing on top of him

"Just kidding. They're just doing each other's hair."

"Well, buddy, looks like we're both losers today."

"Yup."

"Let's go home."

"Yup."

As they walked down the darkening street, two plump and ancient women passed the boys giggling.

Sokka looked sideways at Aang. Aang smiled and shrugged his shoulders.

"Hey, girls! Wait up!"


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

**Hello, Old Friend**

Katara awoke early the next morning to the sound of singing. Looking beside her, she saw that Toph was still snoring soundly. Curious, she peeked out of the tent and listened. The sound was coming from the boy's tent.

"Hi," said Katara as she entered and sat down with the boy, who was still laying as he had been the night before. "That's a pretty song."

The boy opened his left eye and looked at her. His right still remained swollen shut from his injuries. She could see that he had been crying.

"You don't have to stop…" she whispered, taking his small hand in hers.

He stared up at the ceiling of the tent and began singing again, in a rough and tiny voice.

"Hello, old friend

"I've missed you so

"I've missed the times we shared

"and now I feel so low

"Hello, old friend

"you've left me here alone

"Now I'm all by myself

"with just a heart of stone.

"Father, when will you ever come home?

"Mother, when will you ever come home?"

Katara squeezed the boy's hand.

"That's so sad."

"I made it myself."

She felt a twinge in her heart, wondering how long this boy had been alone.

"My name is Katara."

"My name is Seung."

"I'm sorry, Seung."

She openly wept, her grief at the suffering which she had caused this boy releasing at once.

"I'm so very, very sorry."

But Seung had passed out.

"That's a pretty creepy song." Toph kicked the fire a bit.

"Yeah. Sounds like he's all alone. Like his parents are…"

"Dead."

"Yeah."

"Aang and Sokka should be back today."

"Yeah."

"What's wrong with you?"

"I'm just not…feeling good."

Throughout the day, Seung came in and out of consciousness and Katara rarely left his side. During this time she had learned that the boy's parents did indeed die when he was very young and that he had lived in the woods on the outskirts of the vicious village, working for food when he could and living off of dead forest animals when he couldn't. He swore to her that he only stole the bread because he was afraid he would die of starvation as it had been so long since he'd eaten. She tried feeding him but as his stomach was not use to food he vomited immediately.

It was very late in the evening when the boys finally returned from Omashu. They all swapped stories and enjoyed a quick dinner by the fire.

"Oh! Katara, I almost forgot."

Sokka started rummaging through his bag, pulling from it a sealed envelope.

"What's that?"

She couldn't help but remember Sokka handing a similar parchment to a soldier not that long ago.

"A letter. It's from Bumi."

"Why would Bumi be writing to me?"

"No idea."

Katara opened the envelope and sat closer to the fire so as to see Bumi's bad handwriting a little better.

"Dear young lady,

The man who is physically wounded can be healed, but the man who bears the mortally wounded spirit finds peace only in sleep.

P.S. Forgiveness can be found where it was lost."

"Are you sure Bumi wrote this?" she asked quizzically.

"Yeah, he wouldn't let us leave without it."

"But what does it mean?" she mumbled only to herself. "Oh no…"

She jumped to her feet and raced across the beach to Seung's tent, throwing back the flap.

Sokka, Toph, and Aang stood by the campfire helplessly as Katara's sobs and screams filled the cold, dark night.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

**Goodbye, Old Friend**

She soared through the night atop the mighty sky bison. The cold wind whipping through her hair and stinging her tearstained face. Her lips mouthed the same words over and over again:

"Forgiveness can be found where it was lost."

Hours later, Katara landed in the village square, the cross still standing where it always had. Yet something didn't feel quite right. She got back on Appa and headed for the hill where thy had previously camped and there, standing in the clearing, was a small figure. She landed and quickly hopped down, cautiously approaching the boy in the dark, who looked so very different without his injuries. He was singing his song balefully.

"Hello, Katara."

"Have you…been waiting for me?"

"Yes."

He turned to her and though he looked real, he had only whites for eyes and a pale pallor to his skin.

"I can't go home yet."

She lost it. She fell to the ground sobbing hysterically, begging the boy for his forgiveness.

"Ma'am. Ma'am…I'm sorry."

"What?" she gazed at him incredulously through her tears.

"I didn't mean to hurt you."

"But you didn't hurt…"

"Whenever you touched me I could feel what you were feeling and I'm sorry that I hurt you."

Katara hugged herself, not being able to stop more tears from coming.

"I hurt a lot before I died but you helped me feel better, just like my mom used to do. And I know how bad you were hurting too and I couldn't do anything for you. I want you to know that I'm sorry and that it's not your fault. I would've been caught stealing sooner or later anyways and besides, now I can see my mom and my dad again. Don't weep for me for I am dead, and I am at peace."

At these words the boy shimmered slowly away into nothingness, leaving Katara alone on the hill, releasing all of the grief in her soul.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

**Confessions**

Katara arrived back at camp early the next morning and quietly woke Sokka. The two siblings walked far away from the beach and sat down together among the trees. She explained to him all that had transpired, from her suspicions of him to her cruelty towards the boy and finally, to saying goodbye to Seung last night. When she finally had finished talking, emotionally spent, her brother embraced her and held her while she cried.

"Katara, he's right, you know. None of this was your fault. None of it. And, just to clear things up, I'm not a Fire Nation spy. Although, I could see how you thought that."

"Then what's going on with you?"

"That man was Chen Po, an earth bender from Ba Sing Se. He's infiltrating Fire Nation villages for me. Yes I gave him a map of where we're going but just so he can keep me informed. And, no, he wasn't giving me money, he was giving me my money back. I tried to pay him but he wouldn't accept it."

"Pay him for what?"

"Chen Po is looking for somebody for me."

"Who?"

"Lei."

"Lei?"

She began crying again.

"Oh, Sokka!"

Katara wrapped her arms around her brother, hugging him tightly.

"Feel better now, Sis?"

"Yeah. Yeah, I really do."

"Good. Let's head back, I'm starving."

"Me too."

They had just entered camp and met up with Toph when a naked boy streaked by them, screaming loudly and showing off everything he owned.

"Was that Aang?" Katara asked her brother.

"Yeah. He lost a bet."


End file.
